Mcleod St Medical

I was lucky enough to score some leave over Christmas & spent time catching up with my extended family on the Gold Coast .

I have 2 younger brothers & although we don’t see each other often ,it’s always great to catch up .

After our initial greetings my youngest brother pulled out his iphone & showed me photos of his recent plastic surgery involving the removal of a large chunk of skin on the tip of his nose because of Basal Cell Cancer –the monstrous defect was closed with a flap of skin from his L cheek & rotated across to fill the gap .The wound was healing well…!!!

He then proceeded to show me a new collection of Basal Cell & Squamous cell cancers( SCC) that had appeared since his “nose job”. More surgery booked …

Confronting…!!

My middle brother then lifted his shirt & showed me his latest scar from a recent ( his second) melanoma operation . I quickly scanned his back at his request & found 3 Basal Cell Cancers(BCC) needing removal & then as he turned noticed a nasty invasive BCC on his L ear overlying the cartilage just below the upper helical margin of his ear . Wow…!!

Then I got to thinking- my own skin cancer Doctor had left town 2 yrs earlier & I haven’t had a proper skin check since …Hmmmm.

I did some looking on line , found a reputable clinic nearby & made a booking .

Several days later I walked out of the clinic with the diagnosis of 3 definite BCCs including one on the nostril (ouch ) ,a likely superficial SCC & several indeterminate lesions needing biopsy .

Take home lessons are simple .

1. Don’t neglect your skin –especially as you get older & especially if you are fair skinned & have spent a lot of time outdoors .

2. Skin Cancer in our community is VERY Common , mostly curable , relatively easy to diagnose & is best managed early .

1 in 2 of us will develop a BCC in our lifetime , 1 in 6 of us an SCC & 1 in 14 will develop melanoma . It’s the latter that can be fatal .

Melanoma prognosis is excellent if it is diagnosed & excised prior to the tumour reaching a depth of 0.76 mm. Yes that’s correct –NOT VERY DEEP.Beyond this depth the 5 year survival rates/disease free intervals decline .

3. Sunscreen has an established role in reducing the development of new actinic keratoses /reducing the risk of these lesions progressing to cancer .

4. Nicotinamine , a vitamin B 3 derivative has a potentially important role in protecting the skin against the development of actinic keratoses ( sun spots ) & may also prevent progression of these spots into skin cancer .

5. A relatively new cream ( Aldara) can be very useful in managing early superficial cancers without the need for surgery .

6. Photodynamic therapy is showing promise in patients with age related sun damage /actinic keratoses & can be as simple as applying a cleanser,followed by sunscreen ,followed by the active treatment cream ,followed by a couple of hours in the sun …The sun damaged skin /skin lesions then redden ,crust & in ~ 10 days fall off with new skin replacing the old damaged bits .

At McLeod St Medical, we have an interest in the diagnosis & treatment of skin cancer so don’t leave it too late & please book in for a review if you find anything that doesn’t look right .

We have an operating microscope that doubles as an excellent extra pair of eyes with hard to diagnose skin lesions , along with the latest polarized light dermatoscopes.

Happy New Year to all of our patients. We hope that 2017 brings forth many wonderful things for you all.

One of our big news items for the beginning of 2017 has been a change in the administrative structure of McLeod Street Medical. After nearly 20 years, Dr Bruce Bilbe has stepped back from his role as partner, making way for Dr Katherine Holzhauser to come on board, joining Dr Chris Haug, Dr Cathy Meehan and Dr Cameron McLeod in the partnership. We thank Bruce for all of the wonderful things that he has helped implement here at McLeod St, and look forward to working alongside Katherine in her new role.

Bruce will be taking a very well-earned rest in the wilds of Tasmania until mid-April, however, we do not yet know what his schedule will be upon his return. Watch this space for an update.

On a sadder note, the lovely Dr Erin Eaton has relocated and is now based in Darwin. Erin and her beautiful family are enjoying the wide open spaces and parks up in the NT. Thankfully, Erin will be doing some locum work with us from time to time when she pops back to Cairns. Please contact our team of receptionists for Erin’s availabilities.

Also, our friendly registrar – Dr Jess Fulton, has relocated as well. Unfortunately for us, Jess’ partner has been transferred to the Gold Coast Hospital. We are going to miss her smiling face, but wish her all the best for the future.

We look forward to seeing all of the familiar faces of MSM in the near future, and welcome all of the new faces and families for 2017.

Our Flu vaccines have arrived! Now is the time to protect yourself and your family. Don’t struggle through another Flu season…

Ring 0740521 583 to book an appointment with one of our friendly Doctors.

Private vaccine prices as follows:

Trivalent $18.00
Quadrivalent $22.00

Patients over 65 or with certain pre-existing health conditions such as Asthma or heart disease may qualify for a free government flu vaccine. Please discuss with your Doctor at time of consultation to see if you are eligible.

Vaccine-preventable diseases are still common in many countries. With increased travel and immigration the risks are real.

Babies are vulnerable to serious and life-threatening diseases, this is why we aim to protect babies as early in life as possible.

Therefore it is important that your baby be fully immunised within the first 6 months of life. In Australia, babies start receiving vaccines at birth and again at 6 weeks, 4 months and 6 months of age.

Due dates are important

To be fully protected against preventable diseases, your child will require a full course (often more than 1 dose) of vaccines at critical times.

For the best protection, vaccinations need to occur on time. ‘On time’ means on (or as close as possible to) the due date in accordance with the National Immunisation Program Schedule Queensland. The schedule below, outlines the ages at which your child should be vaccinated to get the earliest and best protection against vaccine-preventable disease.

Vaccination Reminders

The Qld Government has launched a helpful new reminder system for your Mobile device called Vaccidate. Through the use of this app, parents are able to easily access and manage their children’s immunisation schedule, receive reminders on their phone for the next appointment and store a record of vaccinations received for each child.

*The above schedule has been taken from the Qld Health Immunization Schedule Guidelines (www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/diseases-infection/immunisation/schedule/default.asp) *

Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are recognised allied health professionals who specialise in individualised exercise programs for persons with existing conditions, or those who are at high risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or hypertension.

provide advice, support and a strong focus on successfully changing lifestyle behaviours.

AEPs display a diverse range of knowledge and skills, enabling them to work across a variety of areas in the health, exercise and sports science fields including the public and private hospitals, workplace health, workplace rehabilitation and aged care.

What to expect in an Exercise physiology session

Each session is tailored to your individual needs/goals and is designed to improve your condition and quality of life. Sessions may be inclusive of cardio exercises and resistance (weight) training, so it is advisable to wear clothing you feel comfortable in whilst exercising and comfortable shoes (joggers are ideal).

Do I need a referral?

If you would like to learn more about the services of AEPs or if you require a referral, please call McLeod Street Medical on 40521583 to make an appointment with your GP.

Nobody wants to be ill whilst on holidays, so taking a few simple precautions before you travel can mean the difference between a dream holiday and a nightmare trip. Planning a holiday is exciting, stressful and rewarding all at the same time. But sometimes the pressure of organising a trip can lead to important things being overlooked; for example vaccinations and adequate medications.

Remember your trip for the right reasons.

Did you know that there is about a 1 in 2 chance that you may suffer from a travel-related illness?

Many health problems that travellers face are avoidable. A little pre-planning and advice from your healthcare professional can provide you with the most up-to-date information regarding your travel health. This may include ensuring you have the appropriate immunisations required for your area of travel (eg yellowfever, typhoid), ensuring you have enough of your medications to last the length of your trip and precautions to take to maximise your protection.

Each traveller and their journey is unique, and will present with it’s own set of health problems. Providing your Doctor with the specifics of your trip, including where and when you are going, how long you will be staying and who you are travelling with, enables your Doctor to determine the correct travel health advice and appropriate vaccinations are given.

Arrange a travel health check with your GP at least 6 weeks prior to departure to ensure that you are getting the full benefits of any vaccinations or medications that you may require. (Some vaccinations may require multiple doses.)

We all want to make better food choices and take care of our health, but sometimes knowing how to do this can be challenging. Having a formal health assessment by an Accredited Practising Dietitian can help to overcome this challenge, guiding you towards understanding the science behind nutrition, turning it into practical advice allowing you to make positive changes to your eating habits.

What is an Accredited Practising Dietitian?Accredited Practising Dietitians (APD’s) are university-qualified nutrition professionals that undertake ongoing training and education to make sure that they are your most up-to-date and credible source of nutrition information. APD’s are the most qualified healthcare professionals to provide expert nutrition and dietary advice, and they are the only nutrition professionals recognised by the Australian Government and Medicare.Why should I see an APD?